The present invention relates generally to delivering power to computer processors, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for delivering power to micro and other processors to the base, and preferably the center of the processor.
The computer industry has seen a remarkable advancement over the years. Every few years, semiconductor companies are developing faster and more powerful chips, or processors, for use in desktop and notebook computers, as well as work stations. These more powerful processors have to operate at reduced voltages and higher currents. The need for supplying power to these processors presents design problems, especially in view of the high power requirements for processors, which may run as high as from about 200 amps to about 700 amps. One solution is to provide power supplies and/or conductive paths on the base or motherboard to which the processor is mounted. This is undesirable because the higher processor currents require the incorporation of large and thick copper traces in order to minimize voltage drop. This increases the cost of the motherboard. The traces must also be designed so as to provide very low loop inductance in order to stabilize voltage level in a few clock cycles when the processor emerges from a “sleep” state and enters a “computing” state. The use of additional copper and the need for specific circuit board design serves to increase the cost and complexity of using the base board to supply power.
A need therefore exists for a different way to provide power to these new processors which does not complicate the construction of the motherboard.